Carol's Plan
by Kellrock
Summary: "Give him the greatest night of his life. Then when he's sleeping you can end this." Takes place after Andrea's visit in 3X11 Carol tells Daryl and Merle about the plan she pitched to Andrea. Just a moment between episodes. One-shot Caryl


**Just a dumb one-shot I thought of the other day. OOC but I felt like writing and I love Caryl right now. Enjoy!**

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"What were you talking to Andrea about?"

Carol looked up from rocking baby Judith and turned a surprised look to the girl sitting next to her.

"When you introduced her to Judith…" Beth clarified "it looked pretty serious."

Carol and Beth sat next to each other leaning against the wall across from the cells. Most of the group had gone to bed or their watch shift for the night. Across from them Daryl leaned against the stairway cleaning his arrows. And Merle slowly paced by the doorway of the cell block, clearly not comfortable staying in a prison.

Carol made sure to keep an eye on Merle at all times, especially with Beth around. She gave a small smile to said girl, "just catching up. Unfortunately, there's mostly bad news to share."

Beth nodded, silently agreeing. Daryl's eyes quickly flashed toward Carol before just as quickly averting back to his arrows.

"Why don't you go to bed honey" Carol said to Beth. The girl could barely keep her eyes open. "I can deal with little Ass-Kicker tonight. You deserve a night off."

Daryl grinned to himself. He and Carol were the only ones who still called Judith by her original name.

Beth smiled with gratitude, "Thanks Carol," she stood and looked at the few remaining people. "Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight, dear" Carol was the only one to respond

It was silent for a few minutes. Carol continued to rock a peacefully sleeping Judith, Daryl cleaned his arrows for the hundredth time that night, his gaze constantly shifting between his arrows, his brother, and his girls.

Not that they were _his_ girls, he reprimanded himself repeatedly, but the term kept popping into his head as he watched Carol and Ass-Kicker.

Merle continued to pace in the doorway. He had been locked up once before The Turn and he was not acclimating well to being back.

"Hey there Mighty Mouse, why don't you tell us the truth, whatçha was talking to Blondie about" Merle broke the silence.

"Shut up Merle" Daryl grunted. Carol merely glanced at the older Dixon brother without responding.

"I'm just sayin'"Merle continued moving toward the center of the room, "I saw that conversation too. And it looked like you gave Blondie some unwanted advice, that she wasn't wantin'to hear."

Merle waited for an answer, but Carol continued to ignore him.

"Ah come on now Mighty Mouse, I ain't gon bite ya."

"If you're going to insist on speaking to me" Carol began in a dangerous tone, "I'd prefer if you called me Carol. Although, more so I'd prefer you didn't speak to me."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch darlin' you ain't my type, thankfully there a few lovely ladies to choose from here" Merle said with a lewd smile.

Carol's eyes flashed "stay away from Beth!" she snapped.

"Ho ho, calm down mama bear! Beth? That lil singin' one? Do I look like sum kinda kiddie rapist?! What's that girl 12 years old?!"

"Nu-uh" Merle said with a shake of his head "I like my women to have some experience, know what they're doing. Ain't that right lil brother? Don't want to be wasting time with someone who don't know what they're doing."

Daryl glared at his brother, but didn't respond. He just wanted Merle to go to bed, but he knew that wasn't happening.

"Now that I think on it little brother, you've been with this group a while, you can give me the insight on the ladies. Which ones are worth the trouble?"

Merle turned his stare and lewd smile back toward Carol, "I'm betting Mighty Mouse is a freak in the sheets. Quiet ones always are."

"Shut up asshole!" Daryl snapped He was seeing red, and he couldn't tell how much was from anger and how much from embarrassment.

Carol rolled her eyes, "and the loud mouths always have shortcomings they're trying to compensate for" she responded with a mean smirk directed at Merle.

Merle's temper flared at the insult and he took a step toward Carol. In a flash Merle had a gun and an arrow pointed right at him. He immediately froze and let out a chuckle as he raised his hands in surrender. "I got to say, you've come a long way since last time I saw you" Merle said taking a step back and eyeing the gun Carol had pointed at him.

Merle took a seat creating a triangle with the other occupants. Daryl lowered his bow and sat from the crouched position he had assumed. "Don't understand why you gotta be such an asshole" he muttered.

Merle laughed in response, "I ain't try'n to start nothin'"

Carol rolled her eyes as she lowered her weapon and began to rock a now awakened Judith. She wasn't crying, but the sudden movement of Carol pulling her gun had jolted her out of her sleep.

"Now come on sweet cheeks," Merle said addressing Carol again. "I'm the one whose gonna have to do all the dirty work with the Governor, I'm just wonderin' what Blondie's gonna do to add to that mess."

"We're all gonna fight the Governor" Daryl said.

Before Merle could respond, Carol spoke up.

"I told her to sleep with him. To give him the night of his life and then kill him while he slept."

The Dixon brothers both looked at her shocked. Merle broke the stunned silence with a booming laugh, while Daryl averted his gaze uncomfortably to his arrows.

"That's damn _Basic Instinct_ shit right there!" Merle said continuing to laugh. "Gotta say that's pretty hot Mighty Mouse. Wouldn't've expected that from you. Imma guess Blondie didn't take to it too kindly"

Carol shrugged, "she was a little taken aback. But she didn't say she wouldn't do it."

Merle huffed "I don't see why not! Already been rocking his world. If she's smart, she'll do right as you says. Blondie don't strike me as the smartest though, too bad it ain't you in there."

Carol scoffed "not sure that plan would be so effective with me."

Carol couldn't stop her self-loathing from slipping out. After years of hearing from Ed about how ugly, how disgusting, how utterly undesirable she was, the idea of someone wanting her seemed impossible.

Daryl's head snapped back up at Carol's words. He watched her carefully as she slipped into her own thoughts. He saw as she shook her head to regain focus and noted the self-deprecating smile she put on before she added, "I don't have quite as many attributes to offer as Andrea does."

Carol watched Merle laugh, and missed the scoff Daryl let out as he ducked his head again.

"Mmmm" Merle hummed with appreciation, "Blondie does have a lot to work with." He made a crude grabbing gesture with his hands. Carol rolled her eyes again as she huffed out a laugh. Daryl just shook his head at his brother's antics.

"Like I said before, you ain't really my type, but I ain't sayin you don't got nothing to work with." Merle said eyeing Carol up and down, a predatory smile gracing his features. "I'll take you for a little test drive even, see if I'm wrong about you."

"Shut yer fuckin mouth Merle!" Daryl snapped before he could stop himself. "You talk too fucking much!'

Merle raised an eyebrow at his enraged brother, as Carol also looked on shocked.

"I'm sorry lil brother "Merle said looking between the pair. Daryl was avoiding Carol's gaze. "Didn't realize y'all two was knocking boots together already. So tell me, she's a freak in the sheets right?"

Carol jumped up at the same moment Daryl did and moved toward him quickly. She turned into him, holding Judith tightly against her. She half stood in front of a fuming Daryl, blocking him. She gently put a hand to his chest, moving even closer and mumbling so only he could hear, "don't let him rile you up. It's not worth it."

"Glad to know you finally popped that cherry baby brother" Merle continued to taunt.

Daryl grew even more tense and started to make a move forward, but stopped when he felt Carol apply more pressure to his chest. He looked away from his infuriating brother and met the calming look Carol was giving him. Carol moved her hand resting on his chest to his arm and gave him a squeeze of encouragement.

Daryl took a breath as he looked into Carol's piercing eyes. He glared over at Merle once more before scoffing, moving a step back from Merle and Carol, there by breaking their contact.

"I don't know why you gotta be a fuckin loud mouth dick all the time" he said sitting back down. Carol took a moment before she sat down next to Daryl, looking between the brothers and she rocked a now completely awake Judith.

Daryl looked over at the infant and frowned. "Sorry Little Ass-Kicker, didn't mean to wake you up" he muttered. Carol sent him a wry smile as she rocked the child.

"Do you want to hold her?" Carol asked still speaking softly. "She always falls right asleep when you hold her." Daryl looked down at the fussing child a moment before nodding. He moved his bow and arrows away from him and took Ass-Kicker into his arms.

"Come on now sweetheart, time to go back to sleep" he mumbled to the baby girl in her arms. Just as Carol said, Judith immediately began to stop fussing and began to drift to sleep.

Merle watched the trio in silence for a moment before continuing the conversation.

"Just brotherly love" Merle said responding to Daryl's last words to him, a shit eating grin never leaving his face. "But I'll stop picking on you baby bro," he turned his eyes to Carol. "Tell me more about the plan."

"What do you mean?" Carol asked giving him a confused look. "It's pretty straight forward, don't you think?"

"Y'all experienced ladies didn't talk no detailed strategy?"

Carol rolled her eyes at his meaning, "nope. Just fuck him until he's knocked out and then kill him. Plain and simple."

"Hm cold blooded, you women" Merle mused.

"Not really," Carol said with a smirk "I could have told her to finish him off before…he finished off."

Merle howled with laughter, as Daryl's face began to heat up again.

Daryl stood up cradling a sleeping Ass-Kicker.

"I've had enough. I'm gonna catch some shut eye before my watch."

Carol also stood up not wanting to be left with Merle. She gathered Daryl's bow and arrows for him.

"Walk me to my cell?" she asked in a teasing tone.

Daryl grunted and indicated for her to go ahead of him up the stairs. "Get some sleep Merle" he said as he followed Carol up the stairs.

"More than the Governor will" Merle joked as he moved toward his cell on the bottom floor.

Carol and Daryl took Ass-Kicker to her make shift crib and put her into Rick's cell, where he and Carl were sleeping soundly in their bunks.

Then Daryl walked Carol to her cell. He even stepped inside, which he rarely did. Carol smiled at him "Thanks for walking me up. Do I get a goodnight kiss too?" she teased.

Daryl's face flushed brightly, which made Carol's teasing smile widen considerably. So Daryl guessed it was worth the embarrassment.

"Look," he muttered looking away from her gaze. Carol sobered some, not sure what he was about to say.

"I don't want you ever doin' nothing like that." Daryl all but snapped. Carol stared at him wide eyed and confused.

"Like what?" she asked

"Don't go sleeping with no one just to kill 'em. I'll kill ém for you" he clarified.

Carol laughed.

"While I appreciate that, like I said before to Merle, it's not really a strategy that would work for me. Andrea, Maggie, even Beth, but not m-"

"Don't go sayin any of that crap neither" Daryl snapped interrupting her. Carol looked at him shocked.

They were silent for a moment, unmoving.

Suddenly, Daryl took a deep breath and moved close to Carol. He reached out and held her face in his hands, searching her eyes. He moved in slowly until their lips met. Carol was so shocked she didn't know what to do. Afraid of what would scare Daryl away more, no reaction or any reaction. But before she missed her chance she returned the gentle kiss in turn.

Daryl pulled away slightly and looked back into her eyes. "You don't do none of that shit" he repeated. "I'm gonna do all the killing. And if someday I don't, you use that knife I got you."

Carol grinned remembering the knuckle knife he had recently given her for protection.

Deciding to take a chance, she leaned in and stole another kiss "whatever you say, Pookie."


End file.
